Plate straightening machine



June 8, 1937. F. UIINGERER Original Filed March 29," 1954 PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m n ill -llk x quiz I 70 3. 9 1 cm a M F. UNGERER PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Original Fild March 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w s f2 4 Fly:

:U f. V F u Reissued June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 20,404 PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINE I Fritz Ungerer, Pforzheim-Protzinger, Germany 4 Claims.

The straightening of metal sheets, especially the hot straightening with the known plate straightening machines with thin straightening rolls presents dimculties which are overcome to a very greatextent by the plate straightening machine hereinafter described.

The novelty of the plate straightening machine according to the invention consists in that v the supporting rollers, a pair of which belongs to one supporting point of a straightening roll, are not arranged the one behind the other in the direction in which the sheets pass through the machine, but are mutually displaced.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the improved machine in front elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the straighten- 3 ing roll supporting means of the construction shown in Figure 1, with upper and lower rows of straightening; rolls in cross section.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of straightening roll supporting means with lower 5 row of straightening rolls in cross-section.

Figure 4 shows in top plan view of the straightening roll supporting means according to Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a central section of a supporting 3 roll and its journal, the supporting roller bearing bracket shown in cross-section.

Figure 6 shows in elevation a supporting roller with a portion of the bearing bracket.

The hollow base frame a of the plate straight- 3 ening machine carries uprights b in which upper and lower straightening rolls 0 and d are directly mounted in known manner. In the first form of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 supporting rollers e and f are arranged along 0 both the upper and lower straightening rolls 0 and d, respectively. Whereas the bearing brackets g of the upper supporting rollers e are carried by a yoke 11 and thus participate in. the adjusting movements of this yoke, the bearing straightening brackets i of the lower supporting rollers I rest on separate adjusting means which, in the example illustrated, are constructed as screw spindles k which are turned in nuts 0 with the aid of worm gears 1n, n. The drive of the worms 50 n, which are situated behind the worm wheels mi in' Figure l, is effected by means of a hand wheel p and a continuous worm shaft q. According to the direction in which the hand wheel is turned, the spindles k are screwed into or out 5:, of the screw nuts 0 supported on the base frame a so that lowering or raising of the lower supporting rollers j takes place, which rollers are rotatably mounted on axles f1 projecting, according to the invention from the two flanks of the bearing brackets i.

As the main point, when rolling sheets in hot condition, is stretching or lengthening of the middle section of the sheet metal plates moving between the straightening rolls e and d, a more or less great deflecting of the lower straightening rolls (1 towards the upper rolls c'must take place according to the amount of stretching. For this purpose the adjusting means k, m, and n are preferably so constructed that the raising of the supporting rollers f corresponds to the desired curve of deflection of the lower straightening rolls d, that is to say, the two outer rows of supporting rollers are raised less than the middle row of supporting rollers during one and the same adjustment rotation of the hand wheel p. This can be attained in three different ways. The ratio of transmission of the worm gears m,

n rotating the middle spindles k may, when the middle and outer spindles it have the same screw pitch, be different from those of the worm gears m. n, which rotate the outer spindles and are driven by the same shaft q as the worm gears m, n of the middle spindles k. However, if the middle and outer worm gears m, n have the same ratio of transmission, the screw pitch of the middle spindles kmay be different from that of the outer spindles is. Finally, both the ratios of transmission of the middle and outer worm gears m, n' and also the screw pitches of the middle and outer spindles k may be different. The ratios of transmission of the worm gears m, n and the screw pitches of the spindles It must be chosen according to the purpose for which the machine is to be employed, so that the middle lower straightening rolls d must be deflected to any desired amount towards the material to be straightened.

Instead of intercoupling all the adjusting means'of the supporting rollers f in the manner above described, so that all the bearing brackets i perform a predetermined up and down movement at the same time during the turning of the hand wheel 9, the adjustingmeans may be so constructed that each bearing bracket i is brought into the desired supporting position absolutely independently of the others. This may be effected, for example, by mounting each worm n coordinated to a bearing bracket-i separately and loosely on the worm driving shaft q, these brackets being, however, provided with coupling means which enable the brackets to be coupled with the shaft q as required.

As isknown. the sheet metal plates, such as they run out of the rolling mill in uncut condi- 5 tion into the annealing furnace ind thence into the hot platestraightening machine have very ragged ends. The jagsand teeth are often directed upwardsand-downwards and can lead to serious breakdowns when the plates are passing 10 through the straightening machine.

found that one or another of the teeth which pass into the spaces between the upper or lower straightening rolls, is often torn off, the flowing material passes between the straightening rolls and drops out. The removal and dropping 01' the torn oil pieces without hindrance is particularly facilitated by the construction and arrangement of the straightening roll supporting means according to the invention. Each supporting point of a straightening roll 0 or d comprises according to the first form of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, two supporting rollers e and 1, respectively, which are situated one on each side of the vertical longitudinal center plane of each straightening roll c or d, so that these straightening rolls are supported not, only in upward or downward direction, but also in horizontal plane. In the straightening machine illustrated in Figure 1 each straightening roll c or d has, beside its two Journal bearings in the uprights b, three supporting points, namely, two outer supporting points and one central supporting point which are formed by six supporting According to rollers e and 1, respectively, in all. the invention the two supporting rollers e and 1, respectively, coordinated to a supporting point, are not situated the one behind the other in the spectively, than in the known plate straightening machines, owing to the employment of larger supporting rollers, may also be left between the bearing brackets a and land the straightening rolls c and d, respectively, so that any scraps remaining stuck in these gaps can easily be removed.

The overhanging arrangement of the axles h of the supporting rollers e, f on both flanks of the bearing bracketsa'and 1, respectively, presents the great advantage that torn of! pieces of sheet metal can pass unimpeded towards the free side of the rollers and that the supporting means is which the supporting rollers coordinated to a supporting point of a straightening roll d and 7 arranged in'pairs are not mounted the one be- It has been bind the other in the direction in which the plates pass through the machine but mutually displaced. The distribution of the supporting rollers a: on the bracket 10 may be efi'ected by employing a bracket with four flanks, so that the diameters of the supporting rollers a: can be chosen much larger than in the form of construction illustrated in Figuresl and 2. Screw spindles k are employed by way of example as adjusting means.

The dripping on of lubricant from the supporting rail bearings, which is extremely detrimental difi'erent flanks oi the bearing to the material to be straightened, is also avoided in a novel manner.

The axles h for the supporting rollers are rigidly mounted in the bearing brackets i and have a central bore t, in which cooling water flows during the service from and out through bores ii and 1:, thereby cooling the Journals h and the rollers I.

Lubricant fiows through another bore 1: in the bearing bracket i onto the bearing surface I: of the axle Ii, which lubricant, in spite of thecooling of the journal, may become very fluid under the great heat at which the hot rolling is carried out and ooze out of the rollerbearing. In order.

to prevent the drops produced in this mannerfrom dripping onto the material being straightened, the surfaces of the roller bearing are made narrower than the ring of supporting roller and catching grooves u are provided, one on each side of each of the rollers e and I, from which the oil drops cannot escape because the grooves are partly closed on the outer side by flanges m. The

provision of the grooves is facilitated by the con-' siderably greater diameter of, the supporting rollers. In order to prevent dropsof oil caught in the grooves u: and rotating with the rollers from dripping off the edge u: of the flange during the rotation of the rollers e and I, plates 0 each provided with an inclined drip catching surface in extend ing into one of the grooves and terminating in a dripping edge 12: are provided. This surface catches any drops dripping from -the flange edge u: and conducts them either to the axle I; or back into the catching groove 14 until the drops are evaporated or burned, To enable any residues from combustion and other dirt to be easily blown out of the grooves 11 with compressed air, these grooves are interconnected within the rollers e. f by passages us which extend at an incline to the central axis of the rollers and lead alternately to the bottoms of the two grooves.

By the arrangement of the cooling and lubricating conduits in the brackets and Journals, torn of! pieces of sheet metal passing between the supporting rolls are prevented from damaging the water and oil con- .duits situated at this point as in known straightening machines. 7

The cooling water entering the bearingbrackets i flows, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, into the hollow base frame a and the machine yoke h, respectively, so that these elements are interior of the bearing I claim: I 1. In a plate and sheet straightening machine including straightening rolls, supporting, roller units for said straightening rolls, means for simultaneously adjusting said supporting roller units during the operation of said machine to move said straightening rolls to the position required to straighten the material ted through said machine, said adjusting means including a movable element and mechanism tor transmitting movement from said element to said supporting roller units for moving one of said supporting roller units at a greater speed than other supporting roller units to obtain a'greater working pressure on said straightening rolls at one point than at other points along the straightening roll working area.

2. In a plate and sheet straightening machine including straightening rolls, supporting roller units for said straightening rolls, said supporting rollers having a diameter greater than the diameter of said straightening rolls and positioned and arranged in staggered relation on each side of the central vertical plane of said straightening rolls to support said straightening rolls in all directions and means for simultaneously adjusting said supporting roller units, said adjusting means including an element and mechanism connecting said element to said supporting roller units for moving one of said supporting roller units at a greater speed than the other supporting roller units in passing into supporting position.

3. In a plate straightening machine including straightening rolls, supporting roller units for supporting and flexing said straightening rolls, some of said, supporting roller units being movable vertlcally relative to the other units during the operation of the machine, means for moving said supporting roller units, said units comprising a support having shafts extending from each side thereof with the shafts on one side in staggered relation with the shafts extending from the other side of said support, and supporting rollers detachably mounted for rotation on. said shafts.

, 4. In a plate straightening machine including straightening rolls, a supporting roller unit movable toward and away from said straightening rolls during the operation the machine to control the straighteningroll curvature necessary to straighten the material being fed through said machine, means for moving said supporting roller unit, said unit comprising a support having shafts extending from each side thereo! with the shafts on one side in staggered relation with the shafts extending from the other side of said'support, and supporting rollers detachahly mounted for rotation on said shafts.

FRITZ UNGERER. 

